The Tripitaka, a large body of a Buddhist canonical texts, consists
of three major parts. The teaching was recorded and put into
three baskets called pitakas. The first part, Vinaya, deals
with monastic prohibitions and allowances for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.
Sutta, the second part deals with the teachings both of the
Buddha and his major disciples. Some deal with the development
of the mind free from social context while others are still
cloaked with Indian social values. Some are Jatakas or the stories
of the Buddha's previous births woven out of popular stories
from the Indian soil. These two portions of the Tripitaka were
recited at the first council which took place three months after
the Great Passing Away of the Buddha. Abhidharma, the third
part of the Tripitaka, is philosophical exposition of the mind
and its function composed by later commentators. All three parts
of the Tripitaka were first recorded in written form not earlier
than 450 B.E. (about 90 B.C.)

The materials
found in the Tripitaka may be divided into two major portions
: Lokuttara and Lokiya. Lokuttara deals with pure dharma aiming
at mental freedom. By its nature, the mind has no gender difference.
Lokuttara dharma is therefore beyond gender difference and bias.

The latter
portion, namely lokiya, is the teaching within a social and
historical context. Therefore its value is subjected to social
and historical factors. This portion may further be divided
under two categories. The first part is that taken from the
Indian social context, hence carried on and reinforced by Indian
social values. This is responsible for the large part of materials
found in the Tripitaka which appear to be suppressing women
if we read the Tripitaka without understanding its framework.

The other
portion clearly presents an attitude of Buddhism trying to free
itself from Indian social values, e.g. the caste system. The
Buddha clearly denied the caste system which was a social measure
to divide people into different castes. He, instead, emphasised
that a brahmin is not one who is born from brahmin parents but
becomes one through his righteous action.

Then he
made his standpoint very clear to announce that men and women
are equal in their potentiality to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
A woman's spiritual achievement came from her own action, not
through devotion to her husband. Once women were admitted to
the Order, they enjoyed equal opportunity to practice dharma.
Many vinaya rules were laid down so that the bhikkhus will not
take advantage of the bhikkhunis, e.g. monks are not to ask
the bhikkhunis to wash their robes, rugs, etc.

In this
portion of materials we find the Tripitaka supports and promotes
women. We should take this as a true spirit of Buddhism. It
is indeed social reform in an attempt to uplift women to share
the responsibility as one of the four groups of Buddhists equally
responsible for the growth or decline of Buddhism.

In conclusion,
we can say that it is true that there are certain passages in
the Tripitaka which are suppressing to women but that they do
not represent the true spirit of Buddhism.